Saying Yes
by Lucigoosey The Lightbringer
Summary: Adam Milligan couldn't face Michael, couldn't face those soft, pleading, puppy-dog eyes, and say no. / Set during S5, right after Zachariah (the asshole)'s death.


_Just a little drabble on Adam saying 'yes' to Michael. Wrote this instead of a chapter for Soulmates... oops XD Anyway, enjoy._

* * *

Adam didn't say 'yes' to Michael immediately.

No, the archangel would have to drag him all the way back to Heaven, and then leave. And Adam would sit in a room - a pure white room, nothing on the walls, no windows, no doors, and one-hundred percent completely empty - and wait for him to return. So he paced the length of this room, hands in his pockets, cracking each of his knuckles slowly and deliberately and glaring down at the floor. Truthfully enough, he didn't expect anyone to come back for him. He had just been the bait, after all, for the guy they _did _care about - and that guy and his brother were probably long gone by now. Something Adam had mixed feelings about. But he was still holding onto the hope that maybe they would be back for him, sometime, eventually.

He wasn't sure how long he paced there, waiting for something to happen, for someone to come. Unfortunately for him, though, the next person in the room wasn't either of his brothers; The human had paused his pacing, only for a second, before turning again to stride back to the other side of the room - only to stop, jerk back, and reel a few steps backwards when he saw a man standing before him now. He was completely unrecognizable. Adam Milligan knew, for a fact, that he had never seen his man before in his life. He was an inch or so taller than Adam, with skin the color of milk chocolate and even darker eyes that held absolutely no emotion.

Adam paused, looking him up and down, before he slid a few more steps back - less out of being startled, now, and more out of somewhat of a realization. It didn't take long for him to register the fact that this man wasn't human by any means, and it took even less time to put the pieces together and figure out who - no, what - he was. Adam narrowed his eyes, flicking his gaze back up to the man's, pupils shrinking slightly and his eyebrows pinching together. "Michael, right?"

A flicker of emotion crossed Michael's face, somewhat of a smile, but it was cold, unfeeling, uncaring. Adam slid a step back on instinct. "Yes," he replied quietly, stoic and simple, as his own eyes flicked up and down, taking in the human in front of him carefully. Assessing him, like he was nothing more than a suit on a stand in a store, a car he wanted to buy, an object. It was _just _enough to make Adam keep backing away, because he didn't like the way he was being stared at, so intensely, so carelessly. "I've been waiting to meet you for a while, Adam Milligan."

"Yeah. That's not creepy at all," Adam snarked, and Michael paused, flicking his gaze back up to the human's face. His head tilted ever so slightly, as if not quite understanding the sarcasm, but he asked no questions, and he didn't say a word. Finally, adjusting his suit, the archangel cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders back before walking forward. Adam froze, for just a second, before he managed to move again, forcing himself to take several steps back as Michael approached him, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible.

Michael took a deep breath, sighed, and stopped. "I'm not going to hurt you, Adam Milligan," he told the human carefully, and Adam only narrowed his eyes slightly, unresponsive. "I'm not my brother. I actually do hold some respect for humans." He tilted his head. "And for you."

"Well, I'm flattered," Adam muttered, eyes darkening slightly as he flicked his gaze up and down the archangel again, before sliding a few more steps back and retreating to the other side of the room. Michael turned to watch him, but he didn't move to follow now. "Unfortunately, I can't say I return the sentiment. So how about you kindly, uh, go fuck yourself and I'll be on my way."

Michael shook his head a little bit, a tiny bit of disbelief coloring his expression for just a good few seconds before it diminished once again, stoic and stone-cold as ever. "I can't do that." He seemed to soften, if only slightly, as he began advancing again. Adam winced a little the moment he started moving, stumbling a little now in his haste to get away, but Michael didn't stop this time. "I have a destiny, Adam Milligan. I have a purpose. I have to fight my brother."

Adam narrowed his eyes right back at him, not stopping his retreat until he had slammed himself back into the wall behind him. He clenched his teeth, cold eyes not moving from the archangel as Michael continued forward, tucking his hands into his pockets. "What a miserable little life you've got," Adam spat out, leaning back. "Well, if you can call that a life. Not what you'd expect from Heaven, huh? No clouds, no harps…"

"Everybody assumes the angels have it easy," Michael murmured. "We don't lead such spectacular lives. We don't get to just sit back and watch as _you _live on." The archangel halted, just for a second, only a few feet away from him now. "But we _do _have lives. We have conflict, and treachery, and betrayal, and war. So much war some of us can't even function. We're in one right now, against someone we once loved and cherished above all of Heaven itself. It's not fair," he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Adam narrowed his eyes, staring at him. "But it is fate, and it is mine. I will fight my brother, and I will kill him, because it's right, and I have to."

"Who says?" Adam demanded, scrutinizing him carefully. This was the first flicker of emotion he had seen from the archangel. It was unexpected, and brief, but it wasn't entirely his focus. He didn't care about this fight anymore, he didn't care about Michael vs Lucifer. He just wanted out. This wasn't his fight, Zachariah had made abundantly clear.

"God." Michael opened his eyes, staring down at him. "God says. You see, Adam Milligan - these are my orders, and this is my life. I'm a good son, a good soldier." He turned away, just for a moment, to look around the room. Adam took the chance to push himself away from the wall and circle around to the other side of the room, never turning his back on the archangel. "And my Father has given me a command. Fighting Lucifer is the only way to end this now."

Adam shook his head a little bit in disbelief, mind swimming as he struggled, desperate to click the pieces together. This was God they were talking about - _God_. The Big Man, creator of the fucking _universe_. If he wanted this to happen, was there really any sense in trying to stop it? Adam swallowed and took a deep breath, glancing back behind him for a second before turning his attention back to Michael, uncertain now, but unwavering. "Well, let me ask you this, asshole - what kind of _Father _turns his sons against each other?" He demanded, and Michael froze.

"I'd strongly advise you against speaking against my Father, Adam Milligan," the archangel warned, and Adam almost flinched at the sound of his voice now - nothing of the resigned, weary-but-cold tone he had displayed just seconds before. This was powerful, and this was fury. Each muscle in the archangel's body was pulled taut with barely-restrained violence, as if it were taking all he had not to advance on the human again. And his voice, oh, his voice - it rang out around the room, booming, bouncing off of the walls. Those cold eyes met Adam's, darker and darker with each passing second, with such a rage Adam could almost drown in it.

"God works in mysterious ways," Michael continued further, seeming to relax now, though none of the fury drained from his eyes. Adam had struck a chord, hit a sore spot. "So spectacular, so incomprehensible that I wouldn't _expect _a human to be able to fathom. But he has a plan, and one way or another, it's going to unravel and I will be here to carry it out."

"How righteous of you," Adam grumbled, finally bringing up the courage to speak again. His taunt didn't have quite the desired effect; Michael paused, and then he seemed to visibly relax, a small smile appearing on his face for a second as he nodded, as if in agreement.

"Yes, it is," he replied smoothly, calm once again. "I am, after all, Prince of the Archangels."

"You sorry son of a bitch," Adam huffed out a laugh, watching the pride on Michael's face fizzle out to confusion. "The only throne you sit on is your self-righteous _ass_, motherfucker. You think you're _superior? _No, sweetheart. That 'holier-than-thou' shit might work on everybody else, but don't think for one second that your little ego is flying by me, too." He leaned forward, sneering. "You and your God can _go to Hell."_

At first, Michael recoiled, as if he'd been struck - and then that furious look returned tenfold, nothing but absolute rage flickering across his face. He raised a hand; And Adam was suddenly slammed back, an invisible force holding him against the wall, now, hands he couldn't see wrapping around his throat and holding him in place as the archangel snarled. "Say that again."

Adam could have very well done so; The grip around his throat wasn't so strong that he couldn't have spoken. It was the terror that sent him into silence; The pure, freezing, blinding, breathtaking, deafening kind of terror. It exploded through him, spread through his entire body, until he felt like he was about to burst from the inside out. His mouth trembled slightly, lips parting, but only to suck in as much air as he possibly could before the grip around his throat could tighten; He was certain, absolutely certain, that this was it, this was the end of him. He was going to die - again - at the hands of the beings that were supposed to protect humanity. He was going to die at the hand of the first archangel he had ever learned about. He was going to die in Heaven, and with the way he just spoke to an angel of God and spoken of God himself - he was probably going to Hell. Now, if that wasn't irony at its finest.

Then Michael licked his lips and lightly pulled each finger back from the positions they were in, curled into a fist. And, finally, the hold on Adam began to loosen, ever so slightly, until finally, he had just dropped. He staggered forward with a sharp gasp, and by the time he had managed to look up, Michael was gone, and the white room was bare and empty once again.

Adam took in a deep, slightly shaky breath, and sank his weight back against the wall, sliding down into a sitting position with his knees curled up to his chest.

* * *

The next one into the room was not Michael - at least, Adam didn't think so. Unless he had found another vessel, or something of the sort. This man was a little shorter, and had even darker skin. Like Michael, though, his expression was blank, stone-cold, unforgiving. But there was something even darker, too, something much more menacing. And as this man approached him, Adam found himself frozen, wide eyes tracking him. He couldn't move, even if he wanted to, like he was paralyzed by fear; And he remained that way as the man knelt in front of him, reaching out, ignoring the way Adam visibly flinched, and tilted the human's head up.

Looking him in the eyes, the man pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, and spoke. "You upset my brother, Michael, earlier," he said coldly, and Adam went rigid. He'd already figured this asshat was an angel, but the confirmation still put him on edge even further. "And I'm very surprised he let you live. Or at the very least…" He ran his thumb over Adam's cheek, causing him to finally try to jerk away, but the angel tightened his grip as he continued without even a pause, "didn't torture all that snark out of you. Fortunately, though, unlike my brother, I'm much less… patient when it comes to you pathetic monkeys."

"Fortunately?" Adam managed to spit the word out at him, and the angel raised an eyebrow slightly, dropping his hand. Adam pushed himself back almost at once, glancing to the side and wondering how fast he could get up and make it to the other side of the room.

"Mm… for me," the angel commented idly, "not for you. Obviously."

"Obviously," Adam echoed sharply, gaining just a little bit more confidence now. "So which one are you, then?" He sneered, turning his glare back to the angel. "You don't seem like the Brainy type, and your brother's clearly Vanity- ah, I got it. You must be Grouchy." His lips twitched, curling upwards into a vicious grin. "What, did Papa go out for cigarettes or something?"

"You're humorous. In a very arrogant way." The angel narrowed his eyes slightly. Not quite cold, but somewhat dangerous. Adam just twisted his mouth a bit, though he stiffened at the angel's next words. "Though I've been told most Winchesters are."

"Sweetheart, I'm no Winchester. I'm a damn _Milligan_," Adam tsked, scowling slightly now in response. "And, believe me when I say that we're way fucking worse."

The angel raised an eyebrow at Adam in response, silent for a moment, regarding him with an oddly emotionless sense of curiosity. Then, pursing his lips, he leaned in - much closer than the human would have liked - and placed his hands against the wall on either side of Adam's head, inches away from him, eyes narrowed, blank yet threatening at the same time. "And believe me when I say that we angels are _the _worst," he warned, quiet but direct. There was no booming rage, no fury like Michael held - but the calmness, serenity, with which the angel threatened him, well… that was more terrifying than anything. "And, Adam Milligan, you don't want to test me. My brother won't do anything, because you're too valuable to him. But to me, you're nothing more than a disrespectful _insect_, and I will squash you like one if I have to."

Adam felt his mouth go dry before he could even begin to think of something to refute that with. He wasn't a coward - or at least he didn't like to think of himself as such, but this was an angel he was facing, and he wasn't sure how willing he was - and what lengths he would go to - to test the angel's patience even further. Just knowing that, with a thought, this being could and would destroy him, it scared him. And, sure, Adam didn't really have anything else to live for anyway. His mother was dead, his brothers he didn't even know were long gone, and he was legally dead to all his old friends back in Minnesota… no, Adam didn't have anything else to live for. But he hated the idea of Hell, and that was definitely where he was going, should they kill him.

Pleased with the lack of response - probably - the angel pulled away and leaned back, a small smirk growing on his face, just for a good few seconds, before it vanished into that overly-serious expression once again, quirking an eyebrow faintly at the human. "Now, then," he started, just as calm as before, and Adam's mouth twisted, settling into a grimace. "My name is Raphael. And- before you ask- yes, the archangel Raphael."

Adam's lips curled back into a sneer, teeth bared, but he couldn't bring himself to spit back a response. The fight drained from him almost as fast as it had come, and drained he would stay, until Raphael said something else to piss him off, something that would like that spark again. And then, when it did happen, the angel - archangel - would diffuse it just as easily once more. Then it would repeat. 'Til then, though? Adam was silent. He shifted and stared, letting his expression settle, mouth pressing into a thin, neutral line instead as he leaned back against the wall, watching Raphael as the archangel nodded, seeming pleased.

"That's what I like to see. Compliance." Raphael settled down on his knees in front of Adam, while the human only glared at him, absolutely disgusted. And these were the beings that were supposed to be the good guys. "You see, Adam Milligan," Raphael continued, "you have been chosen for something very important. Obviously not our first choice, even I won't deny you that information - I'm not Zachariah. But, of course, you are our next best option, so…"

"You gotta be single, right?" Adam interrupted sharply, though his voice shook slightly with the carefully-controlled fear brewing in the pit of his stomach. "I mean, is this what you tell the ladies? Or the dudes, y'know, I don't judge," he quipped, mouth twisting. "Kinda pathetic, really."

Raphael stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly and leaned back. "You talk too much," the archangel finally decided, raising a hand and clenching his fist; In just a few seconds, Adam was doubled over, his jaws squeezing shut tightly and painfully, clenched so hard he was sure his teeth would shatter. He struggled to pry his own mouth open, and desperately so, but he couldn't. Like some unseen force, those invisible hands back yet again, keeping his mouth shut. "That's better," Raphael decided, studying him intently.

Adam glared up at him, his eyes wild with panic, but Raphael simply crossed his arms and leaned forward again. "Now, then, as I was saying. We're out of options, and, conveniently, you're already here. Zachariah was right about one thing, theoretically… you are of Winchester bloodline, and so you should be able to hold my brother without a problem. All we need is for you to say yes, and consent to letting Michael possess you."

_Like hell, _Adam vowed silently, sinking back against the wall and wrapping his arms around himself with a scowl. _I swear, motherfucker, I'll end you… I'll end you…_

"Raphael?" Michael's voice made Adam jump, admittedly enough, and Raphael paused slightly for a moment, turning his head faintly to the side to glance behind him. Adam's gaze flickered up, as well, to come to rest on the other archangel, his gaze sharpening at once. Michael only stared at him, mildly bewildered, before looking back toward Raphael, and then toward Adam again, a glimmer of realization crossing his face. "I thought I told you not to mess with him."

"You did," Raphael replied calmly, and that was it. No explanation, nothing of the sort. Michael frowned, mouth twisting slightly in disapproval, before his expression relaxed once again.

"Perhaps I wasn't _clear_," the archangel emphasized, a faint spark of blue entering his gaze; Adam visibly stiffened, the cold, sharp fear rushing down his spine again. Raphael didn't say a word, though his expression shifted faintly, and he pushed himself to stand up. "So I'll tell you again, Adam Milligan is off limits. Zachariah defied direct orders, Raphael, and he's lucky I left him at the mercy of the Winchesters. I'd advise you against showing me the same disrespect." His eyes narrowed at his brother, and Adam honestly took much satisfaction in watching Raphael's eyes dart to the floor, silent as ever. "Leave."

With a nod and a _whoosh_, Raphael was gone. Adam, admittedly, jumped a little, but his focus was torn away the second his mouth fell open, sucking in as much air as he could and simply holding his jaws apart for a good few seconds, weak with relief at the realization he could, once again, open his mouth. He sank back against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment.

"I apologize, Adam Milligan," Michael said curtly, and Adam blinked his eyes open, tensing up all over again as he saw the archangel approaching him. "My brothers have much less tact than I do, as you can clearly see. I'm not sure how much longer I can ask nicely for them not to resort to torture to solve their problems." His eyes narrowed, obviously a bit miffed.

"Are you looking for a thank you?" Adam snapped, lips curling back slightly over his teeth as he pushed himself to stand up, easing himself away from Michael before the archangel had a chance to get too close to him. Michael paused, and frowned.

"I suppose one would be appreciated-"

"Unbelievable." Adam rubbed his hand over his mouth, but he hesitated in what he wanted to say next, staring at the archangel. Whether or not that entire thing had been staged, he couldn't be too sure. But he wasn't too keen on losing his ability to speak again, so maybe watching his mouth really was the best option. Adam scowled, but he didn't say anything else, simply turning to retreat to the other side of the room. Michael shifted to lean against the wall, watching him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he told the human blankly, while Adam found himself backed into a corner, much to his frustration. "I lost my temper earlier, which was my own mistake. I let the words of an ignorant human cloud my judgement. That won't happen again."

"Ignorant?" Adam sank back into the corner, staring him down. "So we're resorting to name-calling? In that case, I have quite a few-"

"You misunderstand me, Adam Milligan," Michael interrupted, his lips twisting into a sharp, mirthless smile as he crossed his arms over his chest. "To be ignorant would be something of a blessing for me. I wish I had the oblivion you humans seem to carry so easily with you. To know nothing of the world you wander. But, instead, I know everything. So much more than you could even begin to imagine. Everyone has so many questions, so much to say; I'd be content with being able to ask just one, but that's not how my life works. So, no, ignorant is not an insult. If anything, it's possibly the biggest compliment I could give you."

"You're a damn idiot," Adam seethed, and Michael paused, narrowing his eyes slightly at the human. "If you believe a single word of that. You think it's easy being _us_? You think it's easy not knowing things? Praying to angels we don't even know exist, to a God that nobody's ever seen?" He shook his head a little, sinking back further. "Ignorance isn't bliss, asshole. It's fucking torture. And we base our lives around those _questions_, the constant _why's _and _what if's _and believe me, we would give anything to finally get some fucking answers for once."

"Even if those answers aren't the ones you want?" Michael countered smoothly.

"Especially then," Adam snapped. "At least having the right answers would be easier than fooling ourselves into believing one thing, when we don't even know the half of it. God, angels, Heaven, Hell - we think we know all about it, but nobody has answers. Truth is, we're all just panicked, bumbling morons waiting for our tickets to be punched. Struggling to figure out where life is trying to take us and what could lay beyond even when in the end, it's not going to matter. Because there's us, and then there's you. Compared to this, what are _we?"_

"You're _human_," Michael pressed, frowning slightly now. "You have choices. You have doubts, and fears, and questions and free will and maybe you _don't _have the answers, but that's the point. You get to make your _own_. You get to- to wonder and fantasize and _ask_…"

"But what's the point?" Adam narrowed his eyes a little. "We're all wrong, aren't we?"

"The point is to _believe_." Michael tilted his head a little, looking puzzled. "Don't you get it? You have a choice. You can have faith. But you're born with the choice of choosing what you believe in. Me, and all the angels - we don't have that luxury. We have to believe. It kind of comes with the job description." He huffed out a laugh, no longer meeting Adam's gaze now. "You're not all wrong, anyway. Some of you get the basic idea. It's just the thought… that you get to explore and search and find the answers for yourselves - I envy that, Adam Milligan. With every fiber of my being, I envy how you can believe just to… just to _believe_, even if you don't really know if it's the truth, or if it's real. Just because you _can _believe, and because you _do_, because you _hope_. It's a beautiful thing. One that you humans take for granted." He shut his eyes. "Ignorance _is _bliss. And it's one of the greatest gifts my Father could have given you."

Adam fell silent for a moment, not sure what to say to that. His life… here he stood, in Heaven, talking to the archangel Michael about belief, and free will. This is what his life had become, from the second those ghouls had broken into his home. The second he was pulled from Heaven, brought back to life, into a destiny he didn't want, a life he didn't ask for. Truth be told, he wasn't too pleased with the results. "Your God…" He finally spoke up, somewhat resigned. "Where even is he, then? Why isn't he doing anything to stop Lucifer, himself?"

"That's another thing about you humans." Michael stared down, wrapping his arms around himself somewhat absently. Adam spared a glance up, silent. "You all struggle with your own beliefs, whether you believe in God or not. But nobody considers the fact that God might not believe in humanity anymore." The archangel looked up, mouth twisting. "My Father left. He hasn't been around… not in Heaven… not for a long time now. It's just… it's just us."

Adam furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn't say anything for a while. "And yet… yet you're still loyal to him," he mumbled, "someone who's not even here."

Michael looked down again, though a quiet, sad smile was forming on his lips now. "Unconditional love is yet another thing you humans explore," he murmured. "And one that we actually do share. My Father may not be here anymore, but I'll always remain faithful to him. One day, he'll return. And when he does, I'll be ready to welcome him back. But until then, I'm in charge of Heaven, and I'm the one who will put a stop to my brother's actions."

"And you need me," Adam mumbled. "That's what that guy said, before you got here. I guess Dean isn't stupid enough to say yes to you after all," he commented, and Michael sighed, but he said nothing. "So what, you think I'm going to? After all of that?"

"Adam Milligan…" Michael started, quiet and exhausted, a tiny bit of emotion finally breaking through the cold, stoic mask the archangel had built up. "I can't force you to do anything. I can't make you say yes, and I don't want to. That's not how I want to do this - torture and manipulation… those were Zachariah's methods, not my own. You weren't supposed to be the bait, you were supposed to be brought straight to me. Zachariah was out of control, overzealous - that's why I allowed Dean Winchester to end him." The archangel slowly let his arms fall from around himself. "But I need you. _Heaven _needs you. There's not much time left."

"And I don't give a rat's ass," Adam spat. "You can take your little wrestling match and shove it. So you've got a big fight with your brother - good for you. But your sibling issues aren't my problem. I didn't ask to be pulled out of Heaven for this, and I certainly didn't ask to have to deal with you and your family drama."

"There will be rewards in store for you, as well," Michael offered quietly. "You'll be able to return to Heaven when it's over. I'll reunite you with your mother, and you'll be at peace."

Adam halted, at that, and stared.

"I don't make promises I don't intend to keep, Adam Milligan," Michael sighed, looking away. "And I fully intend to hold up my end of the bargain. You were promised your mother, and that's what I intend to deliver. All I want is to stop my brother, once and for all; and when it's all over, then we can all finally rest again. Yes, it'll be… a bumpy ride, as you humans say, but… I'll ensure your protection. I'll let you rest, to be at peace again, among the ones you love."

Adam didn't respond for a moment, just stared at him, cautious and torn. The promise of seeing his mother again, of being able to go back to Heaven - it was, admittedly, what he wanted. And he wasn't sure he was going to get another chance at eternal peace. But, with that said, a lot of his views had changed in that short time, too. And he found his mother wasn't his only focus. "What about Sam and Dean?" He finally asked, somewhat cautious.

Michael blinked. "If all goes according to plan, Sam will agree to being Lucifer's vessel. Dean would no longer be needed," he added, somewhat uncertainly.

"No, I mean…" Adam shook his head a little, mouth twisting into a scowl. "This whole thing is supposed to trigger some sort of apocalypse, isn't it? That's what they said. And if you're gonna kill Lucifer while he's wearing Sam to the prom, then what the hell happens to Sam?" He stared Michael down, watching as the archangel seemed to hesitate, clearly just as bewildered. "How many people are going to die for this stupid feud?" Adam demanded.

"I…" Michael trailed off, his voice wavering slightly, but he composed himself quick enough, clearing his throat and shaking his head. "If you're worried about Sam and Dean, I can ensure their protection, as well. When it's over, they'll be brought back, free to live their lives again."

"And Bobby," Adam warned, thinking back to the old man at the house. He hadn't had much time to interact with him, but Sam and Dean had seemed close to him. Michael frowned, but he nodded his agreement, and Adam continued, "and the angel."

"Of course," Michael agreed, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "I'll see to it. They'll all remain under my protection. My only target here is my brother, Adam Milligan - after this, you'll all be free to return to whatever lives you choose. And your reward will be whatever you want it to be. I understand the sacrifice you'd be making, and I want to make it as easy on you as I can." The archangel softened a little, something just a bit warmer flickering through his eyes, and Adam just narrowed his own. "I'll keep your brothers, and their friends, safe. And I'll return you to your mother the moment I'm able. All I ask if your help in finishing what never should have started."

Adam stared at him for a moment, then dropped his gaze. Sure, they were pretty good conditions, and if Michael followed through, then everything might turn out alright in the end; But that was a really big if. Trusting angels had gotten him into this mess, and he wasn't sure how willing he was to put all of this on the line over a simple promise that could very well be empty. He thought back to his mother, and how desperately he wanted to see her again. He thought back to what it was like, resting peacefully in Heaven. He thought back to his brothers, fighting against an apocalypse they couldn't even begin to stop on their own. He thought back to Lucifer, the Devil, roaming free on Earth. If he could end this, and make everything okay - for all of them - then why shouldn't he make that choice? Why was it so hard to say yes?

"Please," Michael said quietly, desperate and pleading; Adam glanced up, meeting the archangel's gaze. "I'll take care of you. I'll take care of everything. Just let me finish what I started." His expression twisted, pain flickering through his eyes. "Please, just say yes."

And, what could Adam say? Faced with those eyes, the pleading, anxious, desperate eyes, there was just no will to fight them. And he'd come to realize that was something that would never change; Through the Cage, through the torture, through the Transformation, a few things would stay the same.

"Okay." Adam closed his eyes for a moment, but even then, he caught a glimpse of the way Michael's face lit up, relief and gratitude and even some disbelief mixing in as the archangel took a step toward him. Adam didn't move, just shook his head and took a deep breath. "Yes."

And one thing was that no matter how hard he may try, Adam Milligan couldn't face Michael, couldn't face those soft, pleading, puppy-dog eyes, and say no.


End file.
